A sport and job-readiness education program aimed at Brisbane youth from refugee migrant backgrounds has won the 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Community Engagement Award.

Kicking Goals Together (KGT) was established by Dr Matthew Pink, Lecturer in the School of Exercise Science and Health, Sport and Well-Being at the Brisbane Campus, in collaboration with MDA and the Rohingya Young Stars, a local football team from refugee migrant backgrounds.

KGT welcomes members of Brisbane’s refugee migrant community each week to the Banyo campus to participate in organised sporting competitions followed by a “skill-up” aimed at developing attendees’ job related skills and networks.

Members of the Kicking Goals Together team (L-R) Jennifer Younger, Matthew Pink, Kate Morris and Samsul Alam.

Also recognized this year is Dr Monica Wong, Lecturer in Mathematics Education at the Strathfield Campus who was awarded the 2016 Staff Award Outstanding Community Engagement.

Dr Wong has introduced mathematics clubs at three Sydney primary schools located in communities identified as low-socioeconomic status, Aboriginal and culturally diverse.

The clubs aim to build a strong foundation in mathematics by increasing students’ interest and self-confidence in mathematics, breaking the cycle of mathematics “failure” for students from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds and instead building lifelong ability in mathematics.

ACU Lecturer in Mathematics Education Dr Monica Wong.

This year’s community engagement awards also recognise ACU Bachelor of Speech Pathology student Freeda Thong who was awarded the 2016 Student Award for Outstanding Community Engagement.

Miss Thong is the Founder and Director of Ecopads Australia, a social enterprise that makes handmade, environmentally friendly and reusable menstrual cloth pads with a cause: for every pad sold, one is sent to a girl or woman in need in a developing country.

This innovative venture targets environmental change and impact through education and accessibility. Ecopads Australia has grown exponentially, reaching customers both nationally and internationally, including New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, Ireland and Sweden.

ACU Bachelor of Speech Pathology student Freeda Thong.

All three of the recipients will be presented with their awards at upcoming Graduation ceremonies.